Self-fastening recess unit for window assembly



New. 25, N69

J. C. SMADJA Filed DeC. 5, 1967 SELF-FASTENING REcEss UNIT FOR WINDOW ASSEMBLY Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT :VEAN CLHUDE SMRDJA A T TORNSYS J. C. SMADJA Nov. 25, i969 SELF-FASTENING RECESS UNIT FOR WINDOW ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

Fig Z0 )Nv ENvoR TEAQN CLHUDE SMHDJQ @5 Fig 7.9

am?, n-r-ra R New United States Patent O 3,479,768 SELF-FASTENING RECESS UNIT FOR WINDOW ASSEMBLY .lean Claude Smadja, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, assigner to Compagnie Financiere et Commerciale, Vaduz, Furstentum, Liechtenstein, a corporation of Frstentum Filed Dec. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 688,160 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 9, 1966, 86,928; Aug. 4, 1967, 116,930 Int. Cl. E06b 7/16; E04b 2/28; E04c 2/38 US. Cl. 49-441 3 ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The present Window assembly is for use in single or double stationary windows, horizontally sliding windows, and vertically sliding windows and for these purposes a window guide is provided which is of a single reinforced section of a thermoplastic material which forms a rigid window framework, a tight sealing single or double slide and a self-fixing tight sealing device for a recess of a support therefor.

The present invention has for object a new system of window assembly.

For the purpose of simplification, the invention will be referred to for utilization in the automobile industry, although it applies equally well to the building trade, to railway cars, to ships, without limiting its utilization to these categories.

Although the system may be utilized for the assembly of single or double stationary windows, it is especially suitable for the assembly of automobile windows which slide either horizontally or vertically and even more so for horizontally sliding windows and which are generally referred to as sliding windows as opposed to vertically sliding windows.

Horizontally sliding windows are installed in low priced private vehicles and in commercial vehicles in preference to vertically sliding windows due to the lower cost of the system resulting from the elimination of the windup handle. For the same reasons of economy, vehicles designed to be equipped with sliding windows are fitted with dished doors, less costly than the doors with the top half built on. In the top half of these dished doors, an empty space delimited by a flat section is reserved for installing the recess which supports the sliding windows.

The installation of horizontally sliding windows, in

the housing reserved for the purpose in the door of a vehicle, is generally effected with the aid of the following elements:

(l) a rigid frame with a U section in which is installed the window guide.

(2) a window guide, maintained within the above frame by means of clamps or other fixtures and enabling the windows to slide smoothly and silently whilst ensuring tight sealing.

(3) an assembly section enabling the above frame and slide unit to be installed on the door, this section, generally of synthetic rubber, ensures the tight sealing of the frame-slide unit on the door.

This standard installation of horizontally sliding windows has several drawbacks:

(a) The inevitable high cost of the three elements composing the unit (frame -islide section).

(b) The high cost of labour involved for the assembly and installation of these three elements.

(c) The increased number of working parts, responsible for loss of space as well as of time.

The present invention proposes, for an identical installa- ClairesV ICC tion of horizontally sliding Windows, a new system enabling an appreciable reduction to be obtained in the cost of raw materials and of labour.

The invention has for object a self fastening recess unit composed of a single section. This section, composed of a thermoplastic material (synthetic rubber or plastics) with an inner reinforcement of a stamped metal strip, forms simultaneously:

A rigid framework;

A tight sealing slide, single or double;

A self-fixing device for the recess on the door of the vehicle;

Tight-sealing between the recess and the door of the vehicle;

Interior and exterior decoration of the recess.

The single section, which will form the recess, comprises a corrosion-proofed metal strip, with its surface partly cut out, with the twin object of obtaining simple and accurate bending in the corners, together with adequate bonding with the thermoplastic material in which it is bedded. This metal strip may however be eliminated of the thermoplastic material utilized is in itself sufficiently rigid to withstand deformation after shaping and with its ends closed up.

The metal strip is coated, by extrusion, with a suitable thickness of synthetic rubber (or plastic) in order to obtain a strip of reinforced theremoplastic material.

The especially designed form of this strip presents:

Rims designed to ensure tight-sealing of the sliding windows;

Rims designed to ensure tight-sealing of the recess on the door of the vehicle;

l decorative rim, or cover-plate, concealing the joining of the recess to the door;

l elastic strip designed to ensure the self-fastening of the recess on the door.

The smooth and silent sliding of the windows is obtained by laying on the tight-sealing rims in contact with these, as also on the bearing surface of the window edges, a friction agent, for instance natural or synthetic fiber, or by electrostatic flocking, or by sealing, glueing or all other suitable methods.

The final desired shape forming a single or a double U, is obtained by passing the above described strip in a roller equipped `shaping apparatus.

This section, cut to the desired length, is bent and then closed up by top moulding or any other suitable method so as to form a frame corresponding exactly to the inner form of the housing reserved in the door of the vehicle.

This section, tted with its windows, constitutes a complete recess unit which may be mounted on a door frame with a single L bend, in a single operation, at a single operating point.

The single unit recess, thus obtained, is thus characterized by a closed circuit frame, composed of a section in thermoplastic material coated with a friction agent by any chosen method, shaped in a single or double U, cut to the desired length, bent to shape and joined at its two ends. This self fastening frame attaches itself to the flat surface of the door of a vehicle with absolutely no exterior fitting.

In order to afford a clearer understanding of the invention, some installation methods will be described hereafter together with the obtainment processes, in reference to the annexed diagrammatic drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a reinforced rubber (or K any other thermoplastic material) strip, produced by extrusion, with the object of obtaining a complete recess section, `by later shaping.

FIG. 2 shows the contour of a coating strip and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the recess in position for assembly;

FIG. 4 is the cross sectional view of another type `of extruded strip having only three sealing rims;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an independent selfiixing section which covers the bared part of the strip simultaneously with the flat side of the door on which it bears, and which possesses the fourth sealing rim.

FIG. 6 is a sectional View of the assembled recess, similar to that of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross section of an extruded strip, comprising on one of its sides an elastic band ensuring the self adherence of the complete recess unit on the inside of the door;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the corresponding recess installed;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are identical Sectional views as those of FIGS. 7 and 8, but correspond to another method of installation;

FIG. 11 is an identical view to that of FIG. 3, but on a larger scale and showing a sectional view of the recess fitted with two sliding windows;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are sectional views of recess units for vertically sliding windows;

FIG. 14 is a View of a door equipped with a recess unit for vertically sliding window;

FIGS. l5 to 18 are sectional views of strips and recess units in conformance with the invention for xed winldows;

FIG. 19 illustrates an example of a stamped metal strip sheathed in the extruded section; and

FIG. 2() shows the sectional view of a door frame.

`In order to simplify the description, the corresponding parts in the various figures bear the same reference numbers. The metal strip 1 is totally or partially covered with a coating of thermoplastic material 2. In the case of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, this sheath has four rims 3 designed to ensure tight sealing against the windows and, two rims 4 designed to ensure tight sealing between the recess unit and the door 5, the space of which designed to house the recess unit comprising an angle iron 6. The tip 7 of the shaped strip is designed to be bent as shown in FIG. 3 to form a hook. It will be noted that bending the part 7 is a simple operation which can be effected by one person. The independent T shaped strip 8 serves to complete the assembly and constitutes a decorative lap joint as shown in FIG. 3.

The strip in FIG. 1 is cut to the required length, formed and then closed up at its ends by top moulding or any other suitable system, so as to form a frame tting exactly the inner shape of the housing.

In the case of FIGS. 4 to 6, one of the rims 3 is formed by a self-attaching section which fits over the angle iron 6 simultaneously with the non-coated extension 9 of the metal strip as shown in FIG. 6. In addition, the extruded section has an extra rim or endpiece 11 forming a covering strip on the side of the door opposite to the angle iron 6.

In the case of FIGS. 7 and 8, the extruded section has a hook-end 12 along one of its edges and a space 13 has been reserved between this hook aud the body of the recess unit, designed for the ixation of the angle iron 6 of the door frame structure.

To fix the recess unit securely to the door, it suflices to straighten out the hook-end 12 temporarily, for example by pulling on a cord which is inserted at the bottom of the slot 13, so as to enable it to pass over the top part of the angle iron of the frame structure. Due to its elastic properties, this hook 12 regains afterwards the position shown in FIG. 8 by hooking itself securely to the angle iron 6 of the frame structure against which the recess unit has been mounted. When this assembly operation has lbeen completed, the door will have been equipped with a self-attaching monolithic recess unit, ensuring a easy operation and the tight sealing of the sliding windows. On the opposite side to the hook-end, may be observed the extruded end-piece 11 which serves as a lapjoint. The recess unit being attached to the door, the end-piece 11 projects over the frame structure, leaving no unsightly gap, noise producer, between the recess unit and its housing.

The outer surface of the recess section has tight-sealing rims 4 compressed against the frame structure during the assembly. These rims enable moreover to oifset the tolerances generally accepted in the construction ot' vehicle doors, leaving no play between the recess unit and its housing.

The two runners in the form of a U 14-15 obtained by shaping of the reinforced extruded strip in a roller equipped shaping apparatus, serve as housing for the sliding windows. Within the frame, all or certain of the sides of each of the two runners, have an extruded flexible rim 3 on the top part of the U. These rims 3 applying against the glass, ensure air and water-proofing of the door windows. In addition, they supply the flexibility required to compensate for the tolerances generally to be found in the thickness of the glass.

With the object of obtaining smooth and silent sliding of the windows 16-17 (FIG. 11), the points of the recess unit in contact with these (sealing rims, bearing surfaces of window edges etc.) will be coated with natural or articial velvet, applied by ocking, gluing, sealing, or any other similar process. This velvet is represented on the drawing by lines drawn perpendicular to the velvet treated surfaces.

Holes drilled in the bottom of the recess unit place the interior of the U shaped section of the recess unit in communication with the exterior of the door. Water which may have penetrated between the window and the sealing rims of the recess unit is discharged to the exterior of the Vehicle.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show an example comprising only two rims 3. In this case, tolerances encountered in the construction of the door or in the thickness of the glass will be compensated by applying natural or artificial velvet with longer libres.

The section shown on FIGS. 12 and 13 is of similar composition, but forming a single U shaped runner. lt is designed for the installation of vertically operated sliding windows (as opposed to the preceding system for horizontally sliding windows).

The part of the section designed to form the base ot' the recess unit is hollowed out in 18 in a slot allowing passage for the vertically sliding window. The window 19 will be -guided within the door by two straight standard runners 20 fixed in the frame structure, on each side ot' the vertical edges of the Windows (FIG. 14).

In this special case of vertically sliding windows, the invention eliminates the interior and exterior felt strips normally installed in the cross-section of the door with the object of ensuring tight-sealing of the window on each side of the opening, enabling it to penetrate into the lower part of the door. In effect, the rims installed above the opening provided for passage of the window ensure tight-sealing of the inner and outer surfaces of the window.

The section shown in FIG. 15 after extrusion and in FIG. 16 after shaping, is similar to the section shown in FIG. 12, without the hollow, the rims 3 being replaced by ribbed surfaces or end-pieces 21 designed to bear on the xed window 22.

The section shown in FIG. 17 after extrusion and in FIG. 18 after shaping is designed to form two U shaped frames for two fixed windows 22-24. It then presents four end-pieces 21.

FIG. 19 shows an example of a metal strip 1 cut but by hollows 25 which give the required flexibility for shaping.

It will be understood that the examples described above and illustrated on the drawings are not restrictive. The extruded reinforced strip utilised in the construction of the recess unit may take varying forms by a judicious choice of extrusion dies. This strip, bent or curved in different shapes, enables recess units of extremely varied forms, sizes and appearance to be obtained. Finally, the combination of the attaching hooks with one or the other of the above considered solutions open up a wide range of possibilities.

What I claim is:

1. A Window guide channel providing a one-piece rigid frame and Window slideway for a window assembly mountable on a body angle iron comprising a single eX- truded section of thermoplastic material having at least a single metal strip reinforced U-shaped portion with said section closed at both its ends providing a window frame, an elastic hook shaped strip being integral with an edge of said U-shaped portion and extending along one side of said U-shaped portion providing a slot along said section for receiving the body angle iron therein to secure said section on said body and sealing rims extending from said section adapted to co-act With the window and with the body for sealing purposes.

2. A window guide channel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said U-shaped portion reinforcement consists of a perforated steel strip.

3. A window guide channel as claimed in claim 1, for use with horizontally sliding Windows wherein said reinforced portion is in the form of a double U-shaped runner, the edges of which serve as Said hook shaped strip on one side thereof and as a decorative element on its other side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,978,911 10/1934 Reid 49441 2,192,651 3/1940 Rydquist 49-490 X 2,610,714 9/1952 Bradley 52-717 X 2,726,894 12/1955 Bugbee 49-441 2,821,430 1/1958 Grede 49-440 2,823,071 2/1958 Malpass 49-440 2,835,539 5/1958 conrad 49 440 X 3,002,783 10/1961 Hofmeister 49-490 3,222,769 12/1965 Le Piae 49- 490X 3,333,364 8/1967 Herr 49-441 3,374,578 3/1968 Mesnei 49-440 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner PHILIP C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

